'Batman' on house arrest; North Ridgeville man brought gun, knives into movie theater

NORTH RIDGEVILLE -- Scott Smith, 37, of North Ridgeville, is under house arrest after being arrested for bringing a gun and four knives into a showing of "Dark Knight Rises" at a theater in Westlake.

Smith will be wearing an electronic ankle bracelet while he awaits his next court date on Sept. 24, said Mark Mahoney, Cuyahoga County assistant prosecutor. Phone calls will be made to his house at random to make sure he is home.

Smith, who posted bond, appeared in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court last week.

Mahoney asked the court to order Smith to have a psychiatric evaluation to determine his sanity at the time of the act.

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"I felt the safety of the community warranted a psychiatric evaluation," Mahoney said.

Smith may find an independent clinic to do the evaluation and make a report before his September court date.

Smith has pleaded innocent to two counts of carrying concealed weapons and one count of having weapons under disability, according to court records.

Smith is accused of taking a Glock 9-mm pistol, two magazines loaded with ammunition and four knives into the 10 p.m. showing of the Batman movie at Regal Cinema at Crocker Park on August 4.

A theater security officer searched Smith's bag and found the weapons inside. Police then searched his home and found seven handguns, 12 long guns, four or five bullet-proof vests, ammunition and gas masks.

Smith brought the weapons to the movie because he felt "he needed protection" after the July 20 fatal shooting at a Dark Knight showing where 12 people were killed and 58 were wounded in Aurora, Colo., his attorney has said.